A book about Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784

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Your Sam Johnson

I’m interested in your experience of Samuel Johnson, and I will be using some of them in the final book. I have a series of questions that I am asking potential contributors — you can answer them by email, or we can arrange for a call, or even to meet in person if we happen to be in the same city. I’d love to hear from you if this sounds appealing. Email me any time, or just go ahead and answer the questions …

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1. When did you first meet Samuel Johnson? Did you read one of his works or did you read about his life?

2. What are some of your favourite anecdotes about Johnson?

3. What are some misconceptions about Johnson that you think still persist?

4. What is a little-known fact about Johnson that you think more people should remember or know about?

5. Johnson himself is often portrayed or thought of as a kind of caricature, the argumentative curmudgeon, and his writing style is sometimes dismissed as heavy and difficult. What are your own thoughts on Johnson’s style?

6. If a person knows little or nothing about Johnson’s writing, what advice would you give on where to start?